deadly fun

Matt Valuckis' creative director had been murdered. The murderer was still at large during a long, nervous week at Jordan Tamraz Carsuo Advertising, as workers struggled to figure out whodunit. A series of clues trickled in via e-mail and notes from JTC management.

At a barbeque on Friday, it all came together for Valuckis, who successfully deduced that account executive Amy Chan had killed creative director Megan Garrett by hurling a terra cotta pot down from JTC's patio to the alley below where Garrett stood puffing on a cigarette. The motive: Garret was about to expose Chan as an embezzler.

The whole plot was part of Friday the 13th week festivities at the Chicago agency. Five creatives dreamed up the mystery for staffers to puzzle over during a week that started when they came to work on Monday and found the taped outline of a body in the reception area.

"It was pretty well put together," said Valuckis, a digital artist who was the only one to come up with all the mystery's answers.

Valuckis's prize for being the best Columbo at JTC was two tickets on a bus tour of haunted sites throughout Chicago.

Matt Valuckis' creative director had been murdered. The murderer was still at large during a long, nervous week at Jordan Tamraz Carsuo Advertising, as workers struggled to figure out whodunit. A series of clues trickled in via e-mail and notes from JTC management.

At a barbeque on Friday, it all came together for Valuckis, who successfully deduced that account executive Amy Chan had killed creative director Megan Garrett by hurling a terra cotta pot down from JTC's patio to the alley below where Garrett stood puffing on a cigarette. The motive: Garret was about to expose Chan as an embezzler.

The whole plot was part of Friday the 13th week festivities at the Chicago agency. Five creatives dreamed up the mystery for staffers to puzzle over during a week that started when they came to work on Monday and found the taped outline of a body in the reception area.

"It was pretty well put together," said Valuckis, a digital artist who was the only one to come up with all the mystery's answers.

Valuckis's prize for being the best Columbo at JTC was two tickets on a bus tour of haunted sites throughout Chicago.